Our Philosophy On Abuse Reduction
Controlled, consistent, precise, and tunable.
Flexx Handlebars absorb abuse in the load path of the suspension while remaining precise in the steer path. This provides you, the rider, with the precision handling that you’re used to out of a traditional handlebar, coupled with unparalleled abuse reduction.
Our philosophy has always been to minimize the abuse as naturally as possible. You shouldn't feel your bars move while riding, correct? We agree, but there are a lot of benefits if you do it in an unnoticeable manner, and that’s where our philosophy comes in. The fact that our handlebar travels in the same plane as the suspension is not by accident or oversight, it’s by design, in an effort to maintain traditional characteristics. Our philosophy demands that we don’t change the characteristic or input of the component for the sake of abuse reduction. We’ll only build an abuse reduction product that maintains a traditional feel and input. It’s more about what we don’t do, than what we do that helps you have a better day on the bike.
Think of the Flexx Handlebars as independent suspension for your hands, working in the same plane of your suspension to compliment the feel of the front fork. You control how soft or stiff the bar is.
The movement of the bar is articulating near the plane of the front suspension. A properly set up Flexx Handlebar should feel similar to a traditional handlebar on the trail, but you should feel like the front suspension is tracking better and notice less abuse at your hands and upper body throughout the ride. That’s not magic, that’s years of testing and development at play. That’s our philosophy. Subtle, yet amazing.
We took the same tact when developing our Impact Pegs, so as not to change the characteristic but still absorb abuse.
There has been discussion about minimizing abuse in a 360 degree manner. Suspension components are controlled in a precise and consistent manner. In other words, tied to a single plane, not multi directional movement. Could you name a suspension component on a motorcycle, quad, car, SxS, mountain bike, F1 car, etc. that moves in 360 degrees? Multi directional movement degrades feel and adds vagueness in steering and control. We’re not willing to sacrifice control by allowing the bar to move in any direction possible.
With 360 degrees of movement, you’re steering through that movement before the bike reacts, even if it’s ever-so-slightly. This is what we refer to as "changing the touch points" of the bike and how you control it. In addition, when you load one side of the bar, the opposite side of the bar will come up. This is what we call the “rowing sensation.”
Originally, the Flexx Bar did not have crossbars, at that point riders noted fore aft movement of the bar, yielding what many described as the aforementioned “rowing sensation”. The bar was absorbing some abuse, but overall was moving and not offering the feedback or input we wanted out of the design. It wasn't until crossbars were added, boxing the pivot points, that feedback became positive, detailing the bar working in sync with the suspension for a much more natural feel...Resulting in precise control, input, and performance.
With all the movement tied near the same plane of the suspension, adding a Flexx Bar provides increased confidence in the front end. From tracking, to small bump compliance, you'll notice the bar smoothing the terrain and allowing you to charge obstacles harder, while riding longer with less fatigue.
For more detailed bar bend info based on discipline, click HERE
Proper Ergonomics
After introducing the new low bar we had questions about the variety of bar bends we offer and why. The simple answer is ergonomics.
Ergonomics is the study of one’s efficiency in their working environment.
In other words, how efficient are you on your motorcycle or atv? Do you have trouble keeping your elbows up? Are you in a powerful position to save or minimize a crash? Ergonomics not only plays a massive role in comfort, it plays a massive role in safety. Imagine buying a new vehicle and not adjusting the seat position before driving it off the lot.
Need guidance selecting the best bar bend for you and your preferences? We're happy to help! Give us a call at (877) 306-1801 or send an email by clicking HERE
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